15 Best Things to Do in Stamford (CT)

Cove Island Park

An hour out of New York from Penn Station, Stamford has an urban, big city feel downtown, where nine Fortune 1000 companies are headquartered. Head south and you’ll hit Long Island Sound and almost 20 miles of shoreline with waterside parks and beaches. And if you go north, Stamford is my idea of a New …

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15 Best Things to Do in Fort Pierce (FL)

Fort Pierce Inlet State Park

A port city on Florida’s Treasure Coast, Fort Pierce has the nickname, Sunrise City. This comes from the sublime sunrises that light up the broad expanse of the Indian River Lagoon.   Fort Pierce is my idea of the perfect coastal town. You’ve got picture-perfect beaches on the ocean and lagoon, a percolating downtown, live entertainment, …

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15 Best Things to Do in Oakland Park (FL)

Funky Buddha Brewery

Embedded in the South Florida metropolitan area, Oakland Park is a suburban city on the edge of Fort Lauderdale.  Administratively, Oakland Park is an urban island, almost completely enclosed by Fort Lauderdale’s northern neighborhoods. I’ll include several Fort Lauderdale attractions and activities in my list, many of which are within a ten-minute drive. Head east …

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14 Best Things to Do in North Lauderdale (FL)

Hampton Park

Between the coast and the Everglades, this quiet residential suburb is on the northwestern edge of Fort Lauderdale. Greenery and water are ever-present in North Lauderdale, a city with no fewer than 15 public parks. Locally, there’s a big choice of things to do, with indoor entertainment centers, museums, and parcels of South Florida nature.  …

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15 Best Things to Do in Greenacres (FL)

Sonny’s BBQ

A city with an appropriate name, Greenacres has over ten parks, adding up to more than 1,700 acres of public recreation. There’s even more close by. For instance, Okeeheelee Park on the city’s western flank is a true active destination, with a golf course, equestrian center and an awesome cable wakeboard park. Head east and …

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15 Best Things to Do in Hallandale Beach (FL)

BF James Park

When I need a hit of Old Florida glamor, one port of call is Hallandale Beach. This oceanfront city will always be associated with Gulfstream Park, a regional home for thoroughbred horse racing since the 1930s. Over time the track has added slots and table games, and an elegant outdoor mall arrived in 2010.  Along …

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15 Best Things to Do in Norwalk (CT)

The Maritime Aquarium

In the very west of Connecticut, the city of Norwalk sits by the water on Long Island Sound. Norwalk was founded in the mid-17th century and has come through ups and downs. A low point, to say the least, was the destruction of the town by the British during the Revolutionary War. Calf Pasture Beach, …

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15 Best Things to Do in Ormond Beach (FL)

Tomoka River

Just north of Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach is a city with stunning nature, enthralling history, and all of the comforts of a beach destination. Gilded Age giants John D. Rockefeller and Henry Flagler were drawn to this place. Flagler built the Ormond Hotel, while Rockefeller owned an estate on the Halifax River. Known as The …

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15 Best Things to Do in New Britain (CT)

Walnut Hill Park

A city once dubbed the “Hardware Capital of the World”, New Britain in Hartford County remains the international headquarters of the tool manufacturer Stanley Black & Decker. The forerunner for this company was founded here as the Stanley Works back in 1843. Another detail I love is that New Britain is the birthplace of the …

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15 Best Things to Do in Panama City (FL)

Ripley's Believe it or Not, Panama City Beach

Many people zoom through Panama City along State Road 30A on their way to the attractions, resorts and sugar-white beaches of Panama City Beach.  To me, Panama City is much more than a stepping stone. For one thing it’s an uplifting story of survival. In 2018 the Category 5 Hurricane Michael made landfall right here, …

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